Sunday, April 14, 2013

Where are the homers?

Thanks
to the stellar performance of phenom Jose Fernandez, the Marlins are
2-9 after Saturday night, on a pace to win 31 games for the year. The
worst team in baseball history, the '62 Mets, were 1-10 at this
point.They won 40 games.

Fernandez,
20, is certainly a huge bright spot in this dismal year – perhaps
our only ray of hope – but we grumpy Marlins fans are still seeing
glasses that are 90 percent empty.

Note
Fernandez has not gotten a win with two stellar performances.

Earl
Weaver created his Oriole teams on good starting pitching and
three-run homers. The Marlins flat out don't believe in homers. Their
two major off-season acquisitions were

– Juan
Pierre, who has 17 homers in his 14-year career, including one last
year.

– Placido
Polanco, who had no homers last year and 32 in 16 years.

What's
particularly troubling is that these two play two positions – left
field and third base – that are often spots for big power hitters.

Another
power hitting position is first base, now occupied by Gregg Dobbs,
who had five homers last year.

Question:
Is it possible that power hitters cost too much, even in their
declining years, for Marlins to afford? Or maybe even to draft?
Marlins minor league is filled with weak-hitting outfielders, like
Cousins and Petersen.